Highlight-reel year for Jarvis’ buddies

They might just be the world’s most famous friend group at this point.

And the good times just keep rolling for Winnipeggers Sloan Tremblay, Lucas Fry, Lucas Humble, Bryan Hanna, Matt McLeod and Noah Wagner.

From lying in confetti on the ice at T-Mobile Arena celebrating a Stanley Cup championship won by childhood buddy Seth Jarvis and his Carolina Hurricanes teammates, to riding their own float through the streets of Raleigh during the team’s championship parade, the self-described “Good Ol’ Canadian Boys” are in no hurry to wake up from what feels like a dream.

Not that they’ve had much time to sleep lately.

“I think we’re all still kind of riding that high and living in that world of whatever this is we’ve kind of been living in the past month,” Fry told the Free Press this week.

“It’s just been insane,” added Humble.

You’ll recall the young men first made headlines in February 2025 when they drove 30 straight hours from Winnipeg to Boston — after their original flights were cancelled — so they could watch Jarvis and Team Canada defeat the United States in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Then came the Winter Olympics this past February in Milan, where Jarvis was a last-minute injury replacement for Canada. Like the Avengers assembling, the six friends quickly found a way to Italy — with a little help from Air Canada — as their fandom was elevated to the international stage.

Now comes a highlight-reel hat trick of sorts, with Carolina claiming Lord Stanley last week following a memorable six-game series victory over Vegas.

“From 4 Nations to the Olympics to the Stanley Cup and seeing them win, I think that might just be the top of the mountain,” said Fry.

“I think there were a lot of tears being shed in the 300 level in Vegas. Everyone was pretty speechless for a while. We didn’t have any words to go with what we were feeling,” added Humble. “Just to see (Jarvis) like actually lift the Cup, it was just insane. So proud and happy.”

“Just to see (Jarvis) like actually lift the Cup, it was just insane. So proud and happy.”

So how exactly were these guys able to put regular life on pause to live out what feels like a fantasy?

It took plenty of stickhandling away from the rink, too. There were school schedules to navigate, shifts to swap, and plans to rearrange, all made possible with support from family, employers and friends. Add a healthy dose of youth, spontaneity and a willingness to seize the moment, and the recipe was complete.

YOLO, right?

“I had an exam the day after the Stanley Cup, but I was able to get that deferred,” said Fry, who is majoring in biology at the University of Manitoba with a double minor in stats and math.

The same was true for Humble, a fellow biology student who is spending the summer working for the City of Winnipeg in naturalist services.

“It was a busy day (Monday). I had to get a lot of seed down before the rain came on Tuesday. But I think we’re all still kind of riding that high,” said Humble.

Tremblay was able to stick around for the raucous celebration in Raleigh, which included Jarvis ripping off his shirt in front of thousands of cheering fans.

“Some people say Raleigh isn’t a hockey city, but that definitely showed they are with how many came out. I’ve never seen that many people in one area at a time. It was just nuts,” he said.

“They actually put us (Tremblay, Hanna, McLeod and Wagner) on a trolly in the parade, which was even funnier. All day, we were like, ‘I can’t believe we are in the parade, like who would have guessed this would ever happen?’”

Tremblay also had a chance to speak with former Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who played a starring role in Carolina’s Cup victory.

“He was super pumped, and talked how he really loved Winnipeg, and, how it was too bad he couldn’t bring it back here,” he said.

Tremblay got some university work deferred and started a new job on Monday which will run through the summer working with kids in the Mini U program.

“I think everybody will be a little bit relieved to get back to some normalcy, but there’s still a lot to look forward to,” said Fry.

Indeed, the return home was brief. The six friends were back on a plane Tuesday afternoon, heading to Vancouver to take in Canada’s World Cup match against Switzerland on Wednesday.

“I don’t fully comprehend how big the World Cup is,” said Tremblay. “Yeah, I kind of live in my hockey world, where the Stanley Cup — that’s the pinnacle, right? I forget that to probably 95 per cent of the world, the World Cup is the biggest thing.”

No, Jarvis hasn’t traded his hockey skates for soccer cleats. But the brand these friends have organically built has opened some unexpected doors. They aren’t just regular guys anymore. They’re content creators and, dare we say, influencers — including more than 70,000 followers on their official Instagram page.

Heck, they were even profiled last week by People magazine.

“We’re just kind of starting to dive into this whole new world,” said Fry.

Another highlight of the summer will surely be Jarvis’ day with the Stanley Cup. While the exact details have yet to be finalized, discussions are already underway about how to make it memorable.

“He’s very open and honest, and there’s no filter on him. He’s the same guy today he always was.”

“Knowing Seth and us, somebody else is going to have to plan it,” joked Fry.

To be clear, Jarvis has given his buddies his blessing to come along for the ride. The 24-year-old former Rink Hockey Academy star, who recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 19 playoff games this spring, has repeatedly spoken about how much it means to have his friends remain so close after all these years.

Their presence has also helped elevate Jarvis’ profile in a sport where cookie-cutter personalities too often dominate.

“He’s very open and honest, and there’s no filter on him. He’s the same guy today he always was,” said Tremblay.

In other words, success hasn’t gone to his head — or theirs, hopefully.

“We’ve always tried to keep the spotlight on Jarv, but it’s crazy how many people now come up and say, ‘Oh, we love your guys content,’ that type of thing,” said Tremblay.

“You know, this whole thing started as just kind of a joke. And it’s just hard to put into words what it has become. We’re very grateful for the opportunities we’ve gotten, and I think we kind of just love to roll with it.”

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